Eric Culberson - Warm Blues From Savannah Georgia

www.ericculberson.com For most people, the city of Savannah, Ga., calls to mind enduring images of antebellum South: elegant old mansions, moss-covered oak trees, oppressive humidity and flirtatious belles hoop skirting their way to family inheritance. But for those who have wandered through the doors of the Savannah Blues nightclub on the right night, the lasting image of this quiescent Southern town is that an electrifying blues workhorse named Eric Culberson.

Inside this restored club owned by Eric and his wife, Ginger, Culberson dazzles patrons with the fiery guitar work that has made him a rising star on the national blues scene. And these fortunate visitors should be grateful: With exposure for his newest King Snake release, No Rules to the Game, gaining momentum, Eric's performing time back home is sure to become less frequent. At least, God willing and the Savannah River don't rise, that's the way things should go for this blues guitarist who has paid his dues in spades.

"When I was 10 years old," recalled Culberson, "my dad had a Harmony acoustic that I tinkered around with. I'd take the tone arm of a record player, dig the needle into the body of the guitar and make that Harmony an electric. From there I learned from watching others". But Culberson makes it sound much easier than it really was. Around the time he hit school, the blues bug bit Culberson, and from that point on it was nose to the grindstone in pursuit of his newfound passion. He did construction and demolition work on the side and developed his guitar skills at night.

"I would get the neighborhood guys together at my one-room efficiency" Culberson explained. "We'd soundproof the room with duct tape and sofa cushions and then jam into the night." And jam he did. Through intense sessions with rotating members of his revolving outfit. The EROK Band (from nickname given to Culberson by his friends), Culberson acquired a strong command of the instrument. By his early20s, he had developed a sound mature enough to catch the ears of King Snake Records major demo and bassist Bob Greenlee. "A mutual friend of ours, Tim Coy sent me a tape." said Greenlee. "The tape sounded good, but it was very rough. I suggested that he come into the studio and lay down a few tracks. As soon as he played in the studio, I was a believer."

Culberson's first release, Blues Is My Religion, introduces his razor sharp playing and natural, down-home voice to the world through an impressive line up of original songs. He tackled genres ranging from Memphis soul to Texas blues with the confidence of a veteran. But more than anything else, the album revealed his love for Chicago blues. It's a love he attributes to blues great Buddy Guy, among others.